Please help!

[texhorns98]

I've been gone a while from here simply because I've been very busy helping my wife open her new store. Anywho, I had a glitch with my ATO last night that caused an extra 15 gallons of fresh water to go into the sump!

Total system volume is around 140-145 gallons and my SG is at 1.020 right now (normally 1.025). Nobody seems all that upset, but I need to figure out the best way to get the SG back up to normal. I am leaving tomorrow AM, so if there's a way to accomplish it today, that would be best.

 

[dawgface]

If you figured out the ATO, put salt in instead of fresh. What you do not want to do is fix the issue all in one day.

 

[dakota9]

I'd siphon out the additional water if not needed, and then take out additional tank water to mix up additional salt. once well dissolved, pour that in the sump. Check SG as you go, and slowly continue in this manor sporadically through out the day until the SG is back up to 1.025.

IMO

 

[liverock27]

Congrats on the new store, but sorry to hear about your tank.

I would be affraid that if you raised the SG too fast that it would do some real damage. Maybe try doing a water change to up the SG a .001 or .002 and then add some salt to your top off water to help raise the SG slowly over a few days. How long are you going out of town? I just wonder because if it is too long than the salter water as top off might bring your SG too high.
Hopefully someone else can be a littler more helpful.

 

[dakota9]

If his 145g's of water is at 1.020, to what SG should he bring his (unknown volume of)top off water, in order to equal 1.025?

I think if that question can't be answered, then it's a recipe for disaster, With the OP going out of town and not being able to monitor the situation.

I don't think it's a great idea to move the SG that quickly, but bringing the SG up, even a little today, and finishing when he returns would be better.

IMO

 

[liverock27]

Dakota9;716235 wrote: If his 145g's of water is at 1.020, to what SG should he bring his (unknown volume of)top off water, in order to equal 1.025?

I think if that question can't be answered, then it's a recipe for disaster, With the OP going out of town and not being able to monitor the situation.

I don't think it's a great idea to move the SG that quickly, but bringing the SG up, even a little today, and finishing when he returns would be better.

IMO

I just think it is a better idea than trying to bring it all back up today like was suggested.

 

[rtirado]

You can use this calculator to see how many water changes you'll need to do in order to bring it back up:

 

[texhorns98]

Thanks everyone! I'm coming back Monday afternoon. I have already pulled out all the excess water (my skimmer was going nuts too!) and have solved the ATO issue.

Are you saying to make up some super concentrated saltwater and then add that slowly into the tank? If so, how concentrated are we talking?

I would rather not add salt to my ATO water as it's a pretty self sufficient system. The "glitch" was that I dropped the relay into the sump, so I had to manually turn on and off the ATO pump until everything dried out. I set a timer that went off and my wife did not tell me. Then I forgot about it!:blush:

Edit:

rtirado;716237 wrote: You can use this calculator to see how many water changes you'll need to do in order to bring it back up: http://www.saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/SalinityAdjust.php">http://www.saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/SalinityAdjust.php</a>[/QUOTE]

I tried that, but it's telling me to do 2 WCs. One at 10 gallons, and one at 139! Maybe I'm not inputting something correctly.

 

[liverock27]

texhorns98;716238 wrote: Thanks everyone! I'm coming back Monday afternoon. I have already pulled out all the excess water (my skimmer was going nuts too!) and have solved the ATO issue.

Are you saying to make up some super concentrated saltwater and then add that slowly into the tank? If so, how concentrated are we talking?

I would rather not add salt to my ATO water as it's a pretty self sufficient system. The "glitch" was that I dropped the relay into the sump, so I had to manually turn on and off the ATO pump until everything dried out. I set a timer that went off and my wife did not tell me. Then I forgot about it!:blush:

I would just do a water change with a higher SG than normal to try and bring the SG up .002 or so and then when you get back do another water change to help bring it up some more.

 

[dakota9]

I'd never consider adding salt water to an ATO when I'm not there to monitor it, although I know people that have. You can't solve an unknown (how much salt the tank needs)with an unknown (how much salt to add).

Fish stores frequently run FO systems at 1.020, and then we acclimate them to our reef tanks with a quick acclimation. Granted, it's not optimal, but I wouldn't be comfortable leaving my home with salt water in the ato either.

Guess it's up to the OP

 

[texhorns98]

LiveRock27;716239 wrote: I would just do a water change with a higher SG than normal to try and bring the SG up .002 or so and then when you get back do another water change to help bring it up some more.

That's where the science is lost on me. I don't know how strong to make the water change water in order to bring it up "x amount".

 

[rtirado]

This plan calls for 4 water changes
Tank Sal. (BEFORE) Gallons Salinity Tank Sal. (AFTER)
1 1.02 sg / 26.6 ppt 10 1.042 sg / 55.6 ppt 1.022 sg / 28.6 ppt
2 1.022 sg / 28.6 ppt 10 1.044 sg / 57.6 ppt 1.023 sg / 30.6 ppt
3 1.023 sg / 30.6 ppt 10 1.045 sg / 59.6 ppt 1.025 sg / 32.6 ppt
4 1.025 sg / 32.6 ppt 10 1.031 sg / 41.3 ppt 1.025 sg / 33.2 ppt

Pull out 10 gals at a time and increase the SG to the listed amounts and put the water back in the system. That calculator is pretty easy to use.

Or if you want it more gradual:

This plan calls for 7 water changes
Tank Sal. (BEFORE) Gallons Salinity Tank Sal. (AFTER)
1 1.02 sg / 26.6 ppt 10 1.031 sg / 41.1 ppt 1.021 sg / 27.6 ppt
2 1.021 sg / 27.6 ppt 10 1.032 sg / 42.1 ppt 1.022 sg / 28.6 ppt
3 1.022 sg / 28.6 ppt 10 1.033 sg / 43.1 ppt 1.022 sg / 29.6 ppt
4 1.022 sg / 29.6 ppt 10 1.033 sg / 44.1 ppt 1.023 sg / 30.6 ppt
5 1.023 sg / 30.6 ppt 10 1.034 sg / 45.1 ppt 1.024 sg / 31.6 ppt
6 1.024 sg / 31.6 ppt 10 1.035 sg / 46.1 ppt 1.025 sg / 32.6 ppt
7 1.025 sg / 32.6 ppt 10 1.031 sg / 41.3 ppt 1.025 sg / 33.2 ppt

 

[itsamyheff]

I agree with dakota9, bring it up a little over today, say around 1.022/3. When you get back, slowly jump it back up then. I had the same thing happen just the other day. Mine dropped from 1.026 to 1.022. I left it for a couple of days. I have been remodeling the piping and ro, mixing tanks. Sps were not extended like normal, but all is well. You should be fine bringing up a little today and the rest when you get back home.

 

[dakota9]

Great calculator!

Do they have a calculator to tell you how much salt to add to an ATO to fix the problem? No?

rtirado;716243 wrote: This plan calls for 4 water changes
Tank Sal. (BEFORE) Gallons Salinity Tank Sal. (AFTER)
1 1.02 sg / 26.6 ppt 10 1.042 sg / 55.6 ppt 1.022 sg / 28.6 ppt
2 1.022 sg / 28.6 ppt 10 1.044 sg / 57.6 ppt 1.023 sg / 30.6 ppt
3 1.023 sg / 30.6 ppt 10 1.045 sg / 59.6 ppt 1.025 sg / 32.6 ppt
4 1.025 sg / 32.6 ppt 10 1.031 sg / 41.3 ppt 1.025 sg / 33.2 ppt

Pull out 10 gals at a time and increase the SG to the listed amounts and put the water back in the system. That calculator is pretty easy to use.

Or if you want it more gradual:

This plan calls for 7 water changes
Tank Sal. (BEFORE) Gallons Salinity Tank Sal. (AFTER)
1 1.02 sg / 26.6 ppt 10 1.031 sg / 41.1 ppt 1.021 sg / 27.6 ppt
2 1.021 sg / 27.6 ppt 10 1.032 sg / 42.1 ppt 1.022 sg / 28.6 ppt
3 1.022 sg / 28.6 ppt 10 1.033 sg / 43.1 ppt 1.022 sg / 29.6 ppt
4 1.022 sg / 29.6 ppt 10 1.033 sg / 44.1 ppt 1.023 sg / 30.6 ppt
5 1.023 sg / 30.6 ppt 10 1.034 sg / 45.1 ppt 1.024 sg / 31.6 ppt
6 1.024 sg / 31.6 ppt 10 1.035 sg / 46.1 ppt 1.025 sg / 32.6 ppt
7 1.025 sg / 32.6 ppt 10 1.031 sg / 41.3 ppt 1.025 sg / 33.2 ppt

 

[rtirado]

Heres the page with all their calculators:

http://www.saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/">http://www.saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/</a>

The water change calculator likes it a lot more when you tell it in (ppt) it gets confused when you put in SG so I had to use the conversion calc too, lol: [IMG]http://www.saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/SgPptConv.php">http://www.saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/SgPptConv.php</a>

 

[dakota9]

Wow!

So many wonderful tools now days!

That's a valuable resource!

 

[rtirado]

Yea, someone else posted that on here a while back and I thought it was pretty awesome resource myself. I know it will save my butt at some point in the future, lol.

 

[ff337]

How about cut the skimmer off, leave the water level where is at and let evaporation fix the salinity? The ato will kick in as normal once the water level gets to the right spot. At that slot the salinity should be fixed.

Edit: Spot*

 

[islandreef]

I think someone said this above and I think its a great idea. If your near to a fish store that has saltwater already made put that into your top off water. That will slowly raise your salinity. Make sure you find out whats up with your top off. Thats why my top off is only 5 gallons and that usually last me 4-5 days then I refill again. That way if it runs steady on me 5 gallons will not make a big dent in my 135.

 

[dawgface]

Dakota9;716235 wrote: If his 145g's of water is at 1.020, to what SG should he bring his (unknown volume of)top off water, in order to equal 1.025?

I think if that question can't be answered, then it's a recipe for disaster, With the OP going out of town and not being able to monitor the situation.

I don't think it's a great idea to move the SG that quickly, but bringing the SG up, even a little today, and finishing when he returns would be better.

IMO

With the assumption that before the ATO malfunction his SG was correct, he dumped 15 gallons of fresh into the tank. Filling 15 gallons of salt in the ATO to slowly replace evaporation seems pretty solid to me??